QUẢNG NINH — The People’s Committee of Quảng Ninh Province on Monday held a dialogue with 600 businesses to understand their problems and take steps to improve its investment climate and provincial competitiveness.

Nguyễn Văn Đọc, provincial party secretary, said investors and enterprises will be given the highest level of support as well as a healthy business environment to operate in.

Đọc said the province would also, however, revise the capacity of several investors and revoke projects that violate regulations on land, resources and environment.

Vũ Thị Kim Chi, deputy head of the province’s Investment Promotion Agency, said the province would improve transparency in mechanism and investment policies so that businesses don’t have to pay informal charges. All changes in policies and procedures will be shared regularly with investors and businesses.

The northern province also plans to speed up the application of information technology in handling administrative procedures.

Đào Văn Hòa, deputy director of the provincial planning and investment department, said that in 2017, the department would work with business households and help them set up  businesses without paying fees.

For the past few years, Quảng Ninh has been making significant efforts to improve its business climate. In 2016, the province ranked second in the provincial competitiveness index out of 63 provinces and cities.

Last year, around 1,700 new firms were established in the province - the highest figure ever - with a total registered capital of VNĐ10.9 trillion (US$478 million), creating around 27,500 jobs.

In the first quarter of this year, another 397 firms were formed with a total registered capital of VNĐ1.95 trillion. The province aims to have at least 25,000 companies by 2020.

At the dialogue, businesses could consult on capital support with the Small and Medium Sized Enterprise Development Fund. Phạm Hải Quỳnh, director of Vân Hải Xanh Company, said businesses were waiting for support from the fund. Administrative procedures should be further simplified, Quỳnh added. — VNS